India v New Zealand, 3rd ODI – Match Result Predictions

Team India made a great comeback in the 2nd ODI in Pune against New Zealand after being shocked by the fight shown by the visitors at the Wankhede. With the 3-match series leveled at one apiece, it all boils down to the 3rd and final ODI to be played at the Green Park Stadium, Kanpur this Sunday.

Both teams would want to finish the series on a high. Where India have won all the 5 bilateral ODI series against the Kiwis at home, it’s a golden chance for the visitors to inflict their maiden series victory. Going by the intensity of the series so far, the last ODI promises to be a cracker of a game.

Kanpur doesn’t get a lot of games to host and the last ODI at the venue was played in 2015 between India and South Africa which was won by the Proteas. Rohit Sharma’s brilliant 150 went in vain as Kagiso Rabada halted MS Dhoni in the final over to restrict the hosts 5 runs short of the target of 304. Just like the last game, this encounter could well be a high-scoring affair.

Here is what Crictracker predicts for the game:

Scenario 1: India wins the toss

Toss Prediction: India will choose to bowl first

First innings score prediction: 250-260

Result prediction: India will win the match by 4 wickets

Scenario 2: New Zealand wins the toss

Toss Prediction: New Zealand will choose to bowl first

First innings score prediction: 280-290

Result prediction: India will win the match by 30-40 runs

Head to Head Record

Overall: Total Matches – 103, India Won – 50, New Zealand Won – 44, No Result/Tied – 9

Matches in India: Total Matches – 36, India Won – 25, New Zealand – 8, No Result/Tied – 3

The momentum, after the victory in the last game, is with India. Their recent form has been extraordinary and that’s why they are the favorites to win the series. But the Black Caps can’t be underestimated and they will leave no stone unturned in trying to create history with their first ever ODI series win in the country.

Playing Combinations:

India

Rohit Sharma has suffered 2 consecutive failures and a big score might just be around the corner. Shikhar Dhawan played a match-defining knock of 68 while Virat Kohli made a decent 29. But the biggest positive for the men in blue was the form of Dinesh Karthik at No.4. He made a valiant 64 and guided the team to a victory and made a strong case for the slot. Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni too played their parts well and took the side past the line.

The foundation for the victory was laid by the bowlers initially. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged the crucial wickets at the top and ended up with the Man of the Match performance of 45/3. Jasprit Bumrah picked up 2 wickets while Pandya too accounted for one. The spinners held the run rate well during the middle overs and the move to bring in Axar Patel paid dividends as he dismissed Tom Latham, the centurion from the first game.

Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand

Both the Kiwi openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro have got off to starts in both the games so far but none of them has gone on to score big. The skipper Kane Williamson has had a forgettable series with scores of 6 and 3 and he will be looking to make amends. A lot will depend again on Ross Taylor and Latham who handle the spinners well. A positive came from the last game from the batting of Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme who scored decent 40s to take the team to a respectable total.

The bowlers didn’t have too much on the board to defend in the last ODI. The Indian batsmen played Trent Boult well and didn’t hand him any wickets. Tim Southee too has been expensive in the series. Adam Milne was the pick of the bowler in the last game with figures of 21/1 from 8 overs. Mitchell Santner was once again economical. Despite the loss in Pune, there may not be any changes to the Kiwi XI.

Predicted XI: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Henry Nicholls, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne

India’s form at home in the recent times has been extraordinary and one can expect them to come out all guns blazing. Unless the New Zealanders pull off something special, the hosts should clinch the victory and the series.

The prediction is for an Indian victory but the match could well be a close one.

Do let us know your predictions in the comments section below.